The Jones quadruplets
are in the Top 10 of the Class of 2015 at Watervliet High School.
From top left, Alison Jones, Nicholas Jones, Elizabeth Jones and
Rebecca Jones.

Siblings'grade-point
averages differ by mere percentage points

April 13, 2015

Forty percent of Watervliet High School’s
Top 10 students for the Class of 2015 share the same last name and
DNA. What separates the four siblings—three sisters and one
brother—are their overall grade-point averages (GPA), which are a
mere tenth, or in some cases hundredth, of a percentage point
different.

Quadruplets Alison, Nicholas, Elizabeth,
and Rebecca Jones rank third, fifth, seventh and tenth in the class,
respectively, and have a combined
cumulative grade point average of 93.75 percent.

In June 2009, the quadruplets
shared the spotlight when they emceed Watervliet Elementary School's
Grade 6 Moving Up ceremony. Naturally, some things have changed
since then, but others remain the same. For example, the siblings were straight A
students back then, too. In sixth grade, Rebecca received an
academic achievement award in reading and English; today, she
aspires to be a librarian. Beth, who won an award for physical
education in sixth grade, is currently a star player on Watervliet's
varsity softball team.
See June 2009 Troy Record article

Sibling rivalry

Parents Dani and John Jones described
what it’s like to raise four smart children who also just happen to
be born within four minutes of each other.

“It’s like raising four smart children
who don’t happen to be quadruplets, except fewer birthday parties,”
said dad John, “and something we are extremely proud of. The day the
class ranking came out was one of few days you know you did
something right … not everything, just something.”

And, what about sibling rivalry?

“I’d describe it more as a friendly
competition,” said mom Dani, who works in the main office at
Watervliet Elementary School. “There’s a little ribbing of whoever
might have the lowest grade in a quiz or their quarterly grades, but
it’s all in a good-spirited way.”

According to Becky, technically the
eldest of the quadruplets, she nearly missed being in the Top 10.
“At the end of the first quarter, my GPA put me in the 11th spot,”
she said. “Knowing that my sisters and brother were in the Top 10
made me work that much harder. By the second quarter I got my grades
up enough to make it in.”

Dad said he wasn’t too surprised by his
children’s academic success.

“They all are smart kids’” he said, “and
they’ve had great teachers who inspired them to want to be good
students. Also, the kids spent a lot of time when they were young
doing homework in front of us.”

With all the quadruplets heading to
college next year, what will the Jones’ household be like?

“It will be quieter, and Price Chopper
will be getting less of our money,” said Dani. “John and I can
finally take a trip or even go to dinner by ourselves, or so we
think.”

The nest won’t be completely empty, at
least not yet, as two of the four, Becky and Nick will be attending
nearby Hudson Valley Community College in Troy and older brother
Christian, who works in the area, also lives at home. Beth plans to
attend The College of Saint Rose in Albany, while Ali will attend
SUNY Oneonta.

“I’m very grateful that I will still
have three kids living at home,” Dani said. “I am dreading the
‘empty nest.’ One would think with the chaos of five kids that I’d
be looking forward to that time, but I’m not.”

“Yes, thankfully for Mom, we’re easing
into that with no one planning on being more than two hours away,”
John said.

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